Born in Lisbon (Portugal) in 1972, Pedro Amaral is one of the most active European composers of the young generation.
Studies
He started his studies in composition as a private student of F. Lopes-Graça, in 1986. His general music apprenticeship was made mainly at the Gregorian Institute and the Superior Lisbon Conservatoire (1991/94) where he graduated in composition at Prof. Christopher Bochmann's class .
Pedro Amaral moved then to Paris, to study at the Paris Superior Conservatoire (CNSM) with Emmanuel Nunes. Four years later, he graduated with the "First Prize in Composition", awarded by unanimous vote of the jury.
Later on, he studied conducting with Peter Eötvös (Eötvös Institute, 2000) and Emilio Pomarico (Milan Scuola Civica, 2001).
Theoretical works
In parallel with his practical apprenticeship, Pedro Amaral proceeded with university studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, in Paris, obtaining a Masters degree in contemporary musicology with a thesis on K. Stockhausen's "Gruppen" (1998) and, later on, in 2003, a Ph.D. with a thesis on "Momente" and the problematic of musical form in serial music. About this huge analysis, K. Stockhausen commented, in Le Monde de la Musique (September 2003): "It is an excellent work that taught me a lot of things" - he then invited Pedro Amaral to become his assistant in some specific projects.
Pedro Amaral develops now a permanent activity in musicology, writing articles, giving speeches, presenting workshops and master-classes.
The Ircam connection
During his first stay at the French institute IRCAM, in 1998/99, he composed "Transmutations", for piano and live electronics, which was first performed in Paris, in 1999. The work was also chosen to represent Portugal at the UNESCO International Composers Tribune, where it was broadcasted by radio stations all over the world. At the end of 2001 the same piece represented the Portuguese section of ISCM at the World Music Days Festival in Japan. Still in the same year, the city of Porto, European Capital of Culture 2001, commissioned him "Organa", for ensemble and live electronics ad libitum, which was also developed at IRCAM's studios. In 2003/2004, Pedro Amaral came for the third time to IRCAM as "compositeur en recherche". He then composed the long "Script", for percussion and live electronics.
Commissions
Amaral's works have been commissioned by the Gulbenkian Foundation, the French Ministry of Culture, the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), the Macao International Music festival, the Musica Viva Festival, the Grame (Lyon), the city of "Porto - European Capital of Culture 2001", the city of Matosinhos, the Casa da Música...
Residences
Pedro Amaral has been "composer in residence" at the Herrenhaus Edenkoben, Germany, Villa Medici, in Rome, and at the Lenzi Palace in Florence, Italy.
Performers
His music is a regular presence at the most important Festivals, being performed by soloists such as C. Desjardins, P. Gallois, P. Carneiro, A. Corazziari, A.L. Gastaldi, J.M. Cottet, Y.Shibuya, J. Gottlieb..., under his own conducting as well as under the conducting of Peter Eötvös, Mark Foster, Muhai Tang, Lucas Pfaff, Renato Rivolta, Johannes Kalitzke, Franck Ollu, Etienne Siebens, Michael Zilm and many others.
Orchestras and ensembles
As composer and/or conductor, Pedro Amaral works regularly with Gulbenkian Orchestra, Youth Symphony Orchestra, Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo City Symphony Orchestra (Brazil), Ensemble InterContemporain, London Sinfonietta, Prometheus Ensemble (Brussels), Ensemble Futures Musiques (Paris), Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Ensemble Ebruitez-vous! (Rennes), Ensemble Alternance (Paris), Quatuor Parisii (Paris), Ensemble Recherche (Freiburg), Ensemble Aventure (Freiburg), musikFabrik (Cologne), Piano Possibile (Munich), Art Respirant (Tokyo), Remix Ensemble (Porto), Grupo de Música Contemporânea de Lisboa, Ensemble SeicentoNovecento, Voces Coelestes Choir... He is from 2008/09, the chief conductor of the National Conservatoire Orchestra.
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Pedro Amaral
